Expressing a Speaker's Emotional Involvement: ... ものだ The following construction is used to express a speaker's strong emotional involvement with an event. Depending on the exact circumstances, it can have any one of a number of English translations.

Verbi-adjective

na-adjectiveNoun

Plain formPlain form (dictionary form / ta-form)Dictionary form + だ or だった

Noun + な / だった

も のだ

(ものです)

- should; used to; because

The original meaning of もの is tangible or visible thing. When used as a sentence ending, もの expresses an event or a situation as if it were a tangible thing or a vivid experience. Depending on context, it expresses different types of emotions, including desire, reminiscence, excuse, admonition, command, conviction, or exclamation.

The plain past form of the verb + ものだ is used when the speaker is reminiscing about the way things used to be. e.g. 学生の時, 毎日のようにパチンコをやったものです - When I was a student, I used to play pachinko almost every day.

At other times, もの seems to add nothing more than emotional intensity to the statement. e.g. 私もそのやまに登(のぼ) ってみたいものだ - I also want to try climbing that mountain!

This construction is also used in making generalizations, particularly when the speaker is expressing a strong impression or conviction. e.g. 友達(ともだち) はいいものだ - A friend is a good thing (to have)

ものだ is also used to express what one must do or should do. The negative form, ものではない, expresses what one should not do. e.g. 大人(おとな)だったら, そんなことを言うものではない - If you are an adult, you shouldn't say such things.

In more formal speech or writing, もの can be replaced with べき. The formal negative of べきだ is べからず, which is sometimes seen on signs.

e.g. 教育(きょういく)制度(せいど) をかいかくするべきだ - We ought to reform the educational system e.g. 飲むべからず - Do not drink (sign on outdoor water faucet in park)

At times, ものだ functions like から (because). The difference is that ものだ is used when the speaker is making an excuse or trying to justify an action or an opinion. ものだ and

から are sometimes used together. e.g. すみませんが, 今日は早く帰らせていただけませんか. 子供が病気なもので - I'm sorry, but could you let me leave early today? My child is sick.

The construction ものか is a protest against undesirable conditions or against what the speaker feels to be unreasonable expectations. It is not a very polite way to express

one's displeasure, so it should be used with caution. It can carry the meaning of the English expression, Do you expect me to...? e.g. そんなばかなことがあってたまるものか - Do you expect me to put up with that kind of nonsense?

In colloquial speech, もの is often contracted to もん. e.g. 昔(むかし)は 10 円でいるんなものが買えたもんだ - In the old days, you used to be able to buy a lot of things with ten yen.

こ と and もの こと as a noun means phenomenon, concept, act, matter, incident - in other words, it is

often translated as the English wordthing, but it always refers to something intangible and abstract, particularly if it is general or unspecified. In contrast, もの refers to a concrete thing or person, not an idea or action. The following sentences illustrate the difference. そ れは面白(おもしろ)いことだ

それは面白(おもしろ)いものだBoth sentences can be translated into English as, That's an interesting thing, but the first one refers to an event, a situation, a piece of news, a subject of discussion, or something else intangible. The second sentence refers to a piece of artwork, a book, a new gadget, an exotic plant, or anything else that a person can see and touch.